Fairfield residents turn RV's into homes for North Carolina Helene victims

FAIRFIELD, Va. (WDBJ) – It’s been over a month since Hurricane Helene and communities in North Carolina are still working to recover.

But here in our hometowns, people are still stepping up to lend a hand, and those in Fairfield are lending a home.

A group in Fairfield is packing campers full of everything a family might need to become the new home for those who lost everything in Hurricane Helene.

Home has always been where you have a roof over your head and a bed to sleep in. But in Lake Lure, N.C., that no longer exists for many residents.

Bonnie Wilmer has seen it herself.

“I believe Lake Lure alone had 60 families that’s in tents,” said Wilmer. “They don’t have anything right now except sleeping bag in the ground.”

So she and a few friends are creating homes and sending them down to those people.

“[My friend] said she was going to purchase campers and some of them would need to be cleaned, I said bring them to my house, my friends will come help,” said Wilmer.

For the past week, people have been donating campers to Wilmer. Someone came all the way from Ohio to drop one off.

She and her crew clean them up and pack them with the basic necessities that have also been donated and other items to make it feel like a home.

“They have a new grill here, charcoal grill, new toaster, new dishes, new brooms, mops, new sheets for their bed, new bed pillows, and all the toiletries and anything that they would need [and] stocked it with some food,” said Wilmer, walking through the camper.

So far, three campers have been sent down to Lake Lure.

“They’re very, very grateful,” said Wilmer, recalling the reaction of the North Carolina residents. “I know they said one little girl was so excited to have a home. And these people are in tents, and it’s getting a little too cold for that.”

And two more families will have homes delivered Friday.

“We’ll just keep on going, as long as we continue to get money to pay for them,” said Wilmer.

Wilmer said she and her group are always accepting donations. They are collecting everything from food to hygiene products, mattresses and clothing. Monetary donations will go toward buying more campers to fill.

The best way to help out is through Wilmer’s Facebook. You can find her page here.

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